Who is the highest paid player in the NBA?

It is clear to everyone involved that an era in the NBA is now over: the elite game it has reached its peak in these playoffs and we have no LeBron, Leonard, Curry or Durant still within a chance of glory.

Nor do we have Chris Paul, James Harden, Paul George, Russell Westbrook or Anthony Davis. And with four teams in contention, the NBA landscape has definitely changed: the Celtics are looking for an elusive ring and have been there for a long time, but have only been to the Finals once, while the Timberwolves are in the Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years.

The Mavericks return to the same round as two seasons ago and the Pacers are the special guests at the party after knocking out the Knicks after seven gruelling games. It has been a genuinely stunning series that has served to send home the biggest and the best: just look at the Nuggets. The reigning champions who have the best player in the world and who promised a dynasty that, for the moment, has not arrived.

And a champion is a champion forever, even if the Colorado Nuggets are now just another team in this post-season in which the NBA is throwing up the greatest of surprises; it is a season without a clear favourite, one in which anyone can win. Although this time it won’t be the Nuggets.

The curious fact about the NBA’s top-paid players

The NBA magic we have seen has caused there to be only one player still playing from the top 15 highest paid players in the league. This season, Stephen Curry has been the player who has taken home the most money with almost $52 million, the only player closer to $100 million than zero. Behind him is Kevin Durant, while in third place sits Nikola Jokic, ahead of LeBron James and Joel Embiid, who are level.

To look at Rudy Gobert, the only remaining player in the season, we have drop down to the number 13 position with over $41 million in earnings thanks to the mega-contract the Timberwolves signed him to when he joined. It is a deal that will bring him almost $44 million next season and they have a player option of more than $46m for 2025-26.

The Frenchman, who spent the first part of his career with the Utah Jazz, has always been a player who has generated mixed feelings. On the one hand, his expensive contract has been highly criticised given the lack of consistency he has shown on the court.

On the other hand, he has won his third Best Defender award this season and is one of the key pieces of the Timberwolves’ tactical organisation. He has proven that, in the long run, betting on the Frenchman has been positive to qualify for a round they had not been to since 2004, with Kevin Garnett as their messiah back then.